Read Me A Story

There is a TV commercial out there pitching some audio book company - I rarely tune in long enough on commercials to know the specific product - but I am aware enough to know what amuses me or, as in this case, what makes me want to jump up and down on the face of the smarmy, self-satisfied, know-it-all little bitch who condescends that her "grandmother listens to audio books."  Hate her.

First off, I am not old enough to be her grandmother; second, I do listen to audio books; and third, audio books are fabulous.  Also, I really should stay away from TV - it makes me crazy.

Audio book readers or narrators really can make or break the book.  I liked The Hunger Games books, but I'm going to have to finish the last one in print when I get around to it.  The narrator lady was just too gushy and emotional - very annoying for the listener.  Among the best I've listened to lately is the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley - these may be grouped under Young Adult fiction since Flavia is a precocious 11-year old chemistry genius who solves mysteries from her manorial home in 1950's England.  But the narrator (Jane Entwhistle) has captured her personality so well. Another kid/grownup story, Because of Winn Dixie - about a girl and a dog, is very Southern and sweet - Isabella was reading it for school, so I downloaded the audio version (made me cry).  Joe Montagna reads Robert B. Parker's Spenser series of detective books - I love listening to him.  Authors who read their own books are usually good, too - Anna Quindlen reads her own Lots of Candles Plenty of Cake.  I like most but not all of Lisa Scottoline's books - Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog is really fun.  I'm in the queue at our library to pick up the audio version of The Night Circus.  Can you imagine having this book read to you while you sit knitting or stitching?  I'm so excited....  The circus arrives without warning.....

And because I really don't like to post without pictures, here are a few fairly recent granddaughter photos:

 

Ruthanne will be a big sister in January, have I said already?  All indications point to a baby brother!

 

 

Ruthie at the Champlain Valley Fair in August.

 

 

 

Riding the twirly rides with Dad.

 



 

A pony ride with Mom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeding the baby goats.

 

 

 

 

And the Utah girls start a new school year.  Isabella is a 4th grader!

 



 

Evie turned 5 in August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls were part of the pretty garden wedding of Randi's best friend.

 

 

 

 

Autumn has arrived in Florida, as much of autumn as it gets around here anyway.  80 degrees, sunny, breezy, no humidity -- pretty pleasant.  Come visit!  --cds

Whoa!

Surely it can't have been September 26 since I last posted anything on my little Florida diary/blog.  If you are a homebody with hobbies, retirement is anything but boring.  There aren't enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I have rolling around in my head.  I've been sewing.  Snow White, living as she does in Vermont, needs a cape to keep her warm when she goes trick/or/treating on Halloween night.

 

I added some ribbon to tie it on and Miss White will be good to go.

 



 

 

I made a little baby quilt because I had a stash of some of those retro vintage pastel prints with little bunnies and kitties and duckies and I love this modified Irish Chain pattern so much.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 Still needs quilting and binding.

 



 

The animals were fused in place, then machine-appliqued and hand-embroidered a little.

 



 

Does this look like a sheep?  It's supposed to be.

 



 

I love the giraffe the best.

 



 

We buzzed up to Disney to check on the Fantasyland reconstruction.  For all my circus-horror, I'm beginning to like this setup as it is looking more and more like pages out of the old Dumbo storybook.  There are now two Dumbo rides and a little area of circus wagons that shoot out water-sprays - cute.  

 

Look, it's Ringmaster James!  Looking a bit cross, isn't he - doesn't know where I am at the moment.

 





 

And then we've had to rescue various creatures that wander into our yard - this turtle found its way to our garage door - probably wanted to have a cigar and thought he'd bum one from Jimbo.

 



 

 

 

Our spider friend still survives, in spite of my Mom's desire to "hose it down with ammonia" (she's brutal).

 

 

 

This is what I am heavily involved with, though, at the moment:

 

www.withinfiniteaffection.blogspot.com

 

Aunti Claud and I have started a family genealogy blog covering the Alcotts, Carrolls, Burgits, basically my Mom's side.  We've collected a ton of pictures that we're trying to load up - so easy to share them this way.  And we're working on getting the genealogy correct.

 

The gathering below took place exactly 100 years ago in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.  My grandmother Ada is standing in the back second from left end with the big bow on her head; my great-grandmother Laura Carroll is seated second from right (next to the man holding the baby); my great-great-grandfather, Henry Coleman Burgit, is seated next to her - he was born in 1833.  I'm finding this all so fascinating, but the history major in me keeps sending me off on tangents trying to date and identify and pull in all the relevant historical data I can. 

 



 

Like I said, there just aren't enough hours in the day.  --cds